Friday, October 27, 2006

World Champs!

After 24 years, my beloved St. Louis Cardinals are finally World Series Champions again!
Oh the joy!!!!

Friday, October 20, 2006

Sensitive Politics?

The National Assembly in France approved legislation that would make denying genocide against the law there. The lack of character of those who deny such atrocious acts not withstanding, isn't this an abuse of governmental power?
Read all about it here.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Coercion and the State

In his article "Grounds for Coercion" Joel Feinberg discusses what is called 'Legal Paternalism'. Legal Paternalism basically says that in certain situations it is ok for the government to interfere with someone's free actions for the purpose of preventing harm to himself or herself. Feinberg defends a weak version of paternalism, which says the state is justified in intervening in one’s free activity only when it has good reason to think he/she is acting involuntarily.

Feinberg proposes a voluntariness standard that must be met by a person to demonstrate he is acting in a fully voluntary way. A person fails to act fully voluntarily, for example, if she is immature (e.g. a child), is mentally impaired (e.g. suffers from some neurosis or is drunk), or is misinformed. If a person is not fully voluntary in her pursuit of an action, then this provides a justifiable reason for the state to step in to prevent harm.

One of the illustrations Feinberg gives shows how fuzzy this picture can get though. I recreate it below:

Dr. Doe: I cannot prescribe drug X to you because it will do you physical harm.

Mr. Roe: I don’t care if it causes me physical harm. I’ll get a lot of pleasure first, so much pleasure, in fact, that it is well worth running the risk of physical harm. If I must pay a price for my pleasure I am willing to do so.

The question that arises from this example is one about drug use. Is it ok for the state to prohibit individuals from the recreational use of drugs? Even if it may ultimately cause the person irreparable harm?